AZUSA, Calif. – The Cougars won their fourth game in the last five, breaking a 3-3 tie in the seventh inning and holding on for a 5-4 victory over Cal State Dominguez Hills Tuesday afternoon at the Cougar Baseball Complex.
How It Happened: Both teams were treating this one-off as a bullpen game, with no pitcher for either side going more than two innings. For the Cougars, Isaac Mendez started the game and threw a pair of scoreless innings, striking out three. In the bottom of the first, Azusa Pacific loaded the bases with one out for Omar Lopez. The shortstop laced a double down the left field line to drive in the first two runs of the game. Catcher Carson Collett followed with an RBI groundout to increase the lead to 3-0. That would be the last either side had in terms of baserunners until the fifth inning, with freshman Tyler Herges retiring all six batters he faced, striking out the side in the fourth.
The Toros would get on the scoreboard in the top of the fifth, punishing a two-out error with a two-run homer to left field, cutting the lead to a single run. They would tie the game up in the sixth, and had the leadoff runner on second to start the seventh. But reliever Alfredo Frey was able to throw out that runner at third on a bunt attempt, then turned a double play to keep the score level. In the bottom half of the inning, Cameron Lee led off the inning with a walk, then stole second, advancing to third on an errant throw. Jeffrey Castillo walked as well, putting two runners on for George Christison. Christison drove Lee in with a ground ball to second base, putting the Cougars ahead again. Will Stroud then drove Castillo in via a sacrifice fly, providing a crucial insurance run.
Cal State Dominguez Hills loaded the bases with one out in the eighth. Andrew White was able to get an interference call on a ground ball to second that resulted in an out with no runners advancing, then struck out the Toros second baseman to retire the side. Dominguez Hills would get one run in the top of the ninth, but White induced a foul popup to first base with the tying run on third to end the game.
By the Numbers: Six different Cougar pitchers participated in the game. Frey earned his first collegiate win with two innings of relief work, while White got his first save of the season. Casey O'Laughlin had a three-hit day at the plate, two of which were infield singles. That gives O'Laughlin a team-leading 20 hits thus far this season. The Cougars stole three bases in the game, raising their team total to 13 through 14 games. Azusa Pacific are 3-1 against the Toros since joining Division II in the 2012-13 school year. Thanks to the previous weekend's rainout, this is the only game the Cougars will have played in a 15-day stretch by the time the Cougars next take the field.
Up Next: The Cougars (7-7) will begin conference play on the islands next week, taking on Hawai'i Pacific in a pair of doubleheaders Monday and Tuesday. The first game on Monday is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. Hawaiian Standard Time (4:00 p.m. Pacific) and live stats will be available HERE.
